A Surprise Suitor
by Miller0259
Summary: Much to her amusement, DG found herself in the OZ version of the Bachelorette. DG/C
1. Round 1

! *crawls out from under a rock* Yeah, I don't know where the last two months have gone either. You have the lull between my internship and classes starting, as well as TabathaBrewer's loving kick in the tush for this! ;) Oh, and that Big Damn Prompt Challenge going on for two more weeks *headdesk*! This chapter's prompt is: ~Contest~

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DG thought this felt like one of the longest birthdays ever. But not in a good way.

DG's parents thought it would be a good idea to start accepting offers to court her this year. It had been three years since the Eclipse and they felt 'it was time.'

DG disagreed. She rather enjoyed single life. She was finally used to the OZ again. She knew its regions, most of its customs, and had a fair amount of friends.

And though she had connected with many young men her own age, and was attracted to some, she never thought of them as her 'Happily Ever After.'

So when a few of them showed up as suitors, DG was more than a little put out. She was afraid turning them down would put a damper on their friendship. She could tell some of them were there more by their parents' request than their own so that made it only slightly better.

Oh well. At least she didn't have to make a decision today. She smiled at the last suitor as he was introduced and they chatted for a few minutes.

Charming. Two sisters. From the Low-Lands. Two years older than her. How interesting…

She was just about to say, what now sounded rehearsed, 'it was nice to meet you…' line when he spoke his own version.

"Well, I don't want to take up any more of your time than I have to. But I _do_ appreciate the chance I was given to speak with you, Your Highness."

DG's smile was somewhat genuine as he approached the dais. What was his name? Jonathon?

He presented her with a gorgeous blown glass vase with flecks of what she assumed to be flakes of real gold throughout the iridescent pink glass. It held some of the more exotic flowers that she'd seen yet that day. They were beautiful. But they were yet another type of flower that would most likely give her the sniffles if she got too close.

'Another bought and paid for gift,' she thought sadly.

Though she had to give him kudos for the blown glass. It was unique. Still, it wasn't like he did it himself.

"Happy Birthday, Princess DG," he said reverently before kissing her on the cheek as was custom.

Nothing like a flower and a kiss to say 'I want to date you,' despite most likely only meeting five minutes beforehand…

He didn't try and linger like some of the men had done, for which she was thankful.

After her quiet thanks he left and she was finally alone. She stared at the carpet where each of her numerous suitors had stood and sighed. Many faces swam in front of her and she could only remember a handful of names. Oh well. She could ask Glitch to make her a cheat sheet.

She finally arose from her seat and straightened her dark green gown. It hung simply from her corseted waist, the silver thread throughout the material shimmering. Her sleeves billowed out at the elbows and DG fought a smile at the somewhat medieval fashion sense the OZ women seemed to have. She rather liked it most days, though she did occasionally miss her jeans.

But now it was time to get ready for the ball tonight. A mixer of sorts, with a fancier dress than usual, and fortunately, she was getting used to them. And then the rounds of one-on-one time each of the suitors were allotted. She would narrow down the field tonight during the ball. She felt like she was on one of those ridiculous Bachelorette contest shows from the Otherside.

She laughed aloud at that thought.

Yeah. Right.


	2. Round 2

A/N: So thank you for the lovely response this story has gotten! It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Which is good for writing. I'll get right on that…

~Day~

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DG wished she could melt into the floor. She wished she wasn't wearing such a beautiful dress. And she also wished that she didn't have to pick 20 guys out of a crowd of 100 to date.

That was an exaggeration. 100 was not nearly large enough to be accurate.

Regardless of the actual number, she found herself accosted at every turn. She barely had time to enjoy her birthday with her sister, Glitch, Cain, or Raw. And Cain and Raw were behind her the whole time!

She had drug Raw along with her throughout the evening because he could easily calm her nerves. And because his asides as to whether or not the men she was speaking with were genuine were absolutely hilarious.

After speaking with a young man by the name of Frederich for more than 10 minutes, DG found him to be rather entertaining if not a bit nervous because he kept touching his hair. Raw agreed. Sort of.

"Liked DG's dress. More concerned with his hair gel."

Another time, Raw almost approved of someone.

"Did not like Jonathon's humor," Raw rumbled. DG looked at him incredulously.

"Yeah, but it's _my _type of humor."

"That's what scares Raw."

And her favorite: A man named Lionel kept up a weak conversation and glanced at the buffet table quite often. Raw actually cut into their conversation and led her away after a few minutes.

"Better watch silverware," was all he said in explanation.

Cain was also there for moral support. She found over the years that he had a comforting outsider's perspective on things. And he was good for ending awkward conversations that went on too long.

And dances. Interrupting long dances that tried to last more than one song. She was very thankful for that. He danced with her twice on such occasions, but usually just had an excuse like 'her parents were looking for her,' and simply led her away.

Glitch also made appearances but he usually disappeared just as quickly. He was supposed to stick around DG and help her with names but he usually got distracted by a sparkly dress. Namely Azkadellia's.

No comment by DG on that. Yet.

And on top of all of this, there were still _more_ offers of courtship throughout the whole evening. She had two servants constantly trailing her as well so they could take care of the flowers. It was surreal.

This was definitely one of the longest days of her life. Thank _goodness_ it was almost midnight. It meant her birthday was over and there were no more suitors that could add their name to the docket. Maybe if she snuck away she could avoid collecting anymore of them.

Yeah, right.

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A/N: Yes this ISSSSSSSSSSSSS a short one. Sorry. I'm under a time constraint.


	3. Round 2 point 5

A/N: Prompt: ~Daisy~

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She heard the door to the ballroom open and close a few moments before Cain's voice found her at the end of the hallway.

"There you are…"

A resigned smile appeared on her tired face as she looked out of the window overlooking the garden. So much for hiding. Not that she minded Cain's presence. Perhaps he could provide some un-jaded outlook on this evening's frivolities.

She turned to look over her shoulder at him as he walked up next to her. Her smile became more genuine as she took in his appearance for the 1000th time. He really did look nice tonight. He seemed to have put in an extra bit of effort this evening. Though at this godforsaken mixer, he did blend in more than anything, given the current crowd out and about tonight.

"I was beginning to think I would never get a chance to talk to you."

Despite his smile, she felt hers fade. He had his hands clasped behind his back, which was odd for him, but it wasn't what had her worried.

"You were hardly far from me all night, Cain," she said dryly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no. I just…" Why did he look nervous? Cain was never nervous. "I have something for you."

She felt her brow furrow in confusion.

"You do?" she heard herself ask before she could even process his statement. Why? He had never gotten her something for her birthday before. Well, not in all of the two birthdays she's been here to celebrate in the OZ.

Cain interrupted her thoughts by pulling his gift from behind his back. It was a wooden jewelry box, slightly larger than his palm. He held it out for her to take.

"Cain…" She tilted her head in dismay, sounding uncomfortable. "You didn't have to get me something…"

"Please, just…" Cain waved away her protest and nodded to the box, not quite meeting her eyes, and gestured for her to take it from him. She hesitated before slowly reaching out and gingerly taking it from him.

DG didn't like when people got her gifts, mainly because she was so horrible at returning the gesture. She always had a problem buying some odd trinket for a person knowing they would eventually shelve it or throw it away eventually. But then she looked at the box.

"Whoa," she murmured before she could stop herself.

She tilted the box as she noticed its surface felt bumpy. It had a swirling pattern carved into the dark wood, revealing its light grain hiding just beneath the surface. She ran her fingers over the lines that covered every face of the box.

She glanced up to find him still looking anxious. He gave her a weak smile. She returned it, and carefully pried the box open.

Her breath caught when she saw what lay nestled on dark brown silk. It was a golden chain with a wooden flower pendant. The petals were made of different kinds of wood, stained and sanded into the shape of what she thought looked like a daisy lying flat, just a bit smaller than the symbol emblazoned upon her palm. The center had an amber gemstone with golden flakes shimmering within. It looked handmade, and therefore expensive.

"Oh, wow…Where did you get this?" she asked, not being able to tear her eyes away from it. He hadn't been to Central City in weeks… He was too busy 'changing the world' with her every day. He must have ordered it and had it sent to-

"I..." He faltered as she finally looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "…I made it." He gave an awkward smile before shrugging.

It took DG a moment before she realized that he was embarrassed.

"Oh, Cain…" she murmured, looking back down at the necklace with a small smile on her face. He was _too_ cute. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

She missed his soft sigh of relief.

After a moment she noticed him shift his weight from foot to foot in front of her, and before she could react she felt him press a kiss to her cheek. She started to smile because she was used to some occasional acts of affection but he never initiated anything like a…a kiss. But as he stepped back she felt her eyes widen as what just happened registered in her mind.

She was staring at a flower and he had just kissed her.

Suddenly the gift, his behavior, and his outfit all made sense. She looked up at him slowly and suddenly felt a hundred butterflies start to swarm around in her stomach. Cain wants to - ? She nearly dropped her gift. His eyes were trained on hers as she searched his for answers.

"Happy Birthday, DG."

DG could not respond. In fact, she knew her mouth was now just hanging open. He had said it so casually. As if her world hadn't just been knocked to the side. So was this just a birthday gift, or was this, indeed, him looking to court her? But this is Cain!

At her lack of response Cain's eyes fell to the floor briefly. He nodded to her, his lips pressed into a thin line, before turning towards the ballroom.

"Thank you," she blurted quietly as he began to move away. He looked back at her, and upon noticing how shell shocked she was, smiled slightly and continued to go back to the party. She was left alone in the hallway once again.

He had given her a flower. One that WAS handmade and thoughtful. One that wouldn't make her sneeze. One that looked like her favorite flower that they didn't even _have_ on this side. One that meant…

…Yeah... Right?

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A/N: BAHAHAHAHAHA! I don't know why I think it's so damn funny to surprise the hell out of DG but it is…to me anyway.


	4. Round 3

A/N: You guys are too cute. I'm becoming addicted to reviews. Prompt: List

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Glitch and two aides were a flurry of cards and notes from all of the flowers. She knew she should be paying attention. And remembering the names with the flowers with the faces but only one face was currently swimming in front of her. And not the normal confidant, blue-eyed, friendly face that she had always pictured.

But a certain nervous, and almost shy one.

DG was fiddling with the necklace's chain around her neck, without even noticing it. She had stared at the open jewelry box sitting on her armoire for nearly ten minutes that morning. Her face just as blank and worried as it was now. She finally decided that she was being ridiculous and put it on.

It hung innocently from her neck, knowing it looked perfect right where it was. DG _knew_ it shouldn't go with her outfit or her other jewelry but somehow it just, worked. She thought of the man who made it and felt her insides go all…fluttery. She didn't know what to make of him. It was an unexpected move and DG found herself almost thinking that it was not entirely unwelcome. Almost.

How could he spring this on her like this? Why didn't he say anything before? WAS he actually saying anything with it in the first place? Could the flower part actually be a coincidence?

After staring at her reflection for a minute more she irrationally felt like the necklace was mocking her. She lifted her hands to remove it, but hesitated. Cain had spent a remarkable amount of time on the gift, the least she could do is wear it for awhile. She ended up sliding it behind the top of her dress so it was hidden from view.

She didn't want to answer any questions, she had reasoned.

"DG? Hello?"

DG's eyes focused again and she turned towards Glitch, who had apparently been speaking to her.

"What?"

Glitch cocked his head.

"New necklace?"

She abruptly dropped the chain. Luckily the pendant was still covered.

"No," she answered quickly. "What were you saying?"

His eyes narrowed in a suddenly perceptive gaze, just for a second, and then he was all business again.

"Are you ready for the next batch?"

"How many have I picked so far?" She sat up, ready to not be distracted anymore.

"Four. You just need sixteen more."

Her shoulders slumped.

"This list is taking forever," she complained.

A quick knock sounded on the door a split second before Cain pushed it open. DG felt like the floor had just opened up beneath her. She lifted a hand to cover the chain around her neck without thinking.

"I come bearing brain food," he announced before pulling the box out from behind him, opening it, and sent it sliding down the table to rest between Glitch and herself.

"Oh! Donuts!" Glitch exclaimed, grabbing one covered in powdered sugar.

DG found herself smiling at him despite her sudden nervousness. She _loved_ donuts. He had done this on more than one all-night-studying binge that she and Glitch had put themselves through.

He was always so thoughtful!

…

Oh my God!

"'Dank 'oou!" Glitch managed to say with a mouthful of donut.

"Did I get all of the flavors this time?" Cain winked at her and asked them both with a normal, at ease, smile.

She and Glitch answered at the same time.

"Yeah…"

"'aight!"

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A/N: 3


	5. Round 3 point 5

A/N: Prompt ~Data~

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DG had been going back and forth about putting a certain name on the list all morning. She still hadn't decided.

"Okay, DG. Just one more. Anyone in mind?"

Cain had long since disappeared from the room, along with the aides. She and Glitch had pictures and names spread out all over the floor. Some were in neat piles, others were crumpled and tossed to the side, and some were covered in powdered sugar.

She was currently staring at three pictures, one of them was Jonathon's. Her hand reached out to straighten his picture next to the others.

What is she doing? There is ONE spot left. She can't do this without finding out if Cain was serious! She was being a Class A _Moron_ right now. She needed to talk to Raw. No, she _actually_ needed to talk to Cain, but she was pretty sure she was not ready for some return questions that he might have.

DG had been nonstop running scenarios through her head from the past, trying to see if the gift was just a gift or he really _was_, for all intents and purposes, trying to court her. There was nothing significant, but when she thought about all of the not-so-significant times, they sure seemed to have added up to something pretty significant.

Oh boy.

She could not ignore the fact that she was rather fond of the Tin Man. Hell, one of her favorite pastimes was making the man smile. But…but _dating_ him? That's just…There's…Things would be…_expected_.

A not quite unpleasant shiver ran down her back. She shook her head.

This was ridiculous. This was Wyatt Cain she was talking about.

She slid Jonathon's picture towards the 'next round' pile.

"Oh! And don't forget about the unlisted suitors."

Her hand froze over the picture, and she looked up at Glitch from beneath her now furrowed brow.

"The _what_?"

Glitch tilted his head to the side, brightening at the fact that he knew something more than her for once.

"You can have two additional suitors who aren't on the official and public list. As long as they followed the courting protocol yesterday, they are eligible. Whether they're on our official registry or not doesn't matter."

DG blinked at him. Is he for real?

First things first.

"THIS LIST IS GOING TO BE PUBLIC!" Glitch had the decency to look abashed. "Glitch! Don't you think all of this," she gestured wildly, "is information I should have known…I dunno, WEEKS ago!"

"…I thought you knew…" he mumbled quietly.

She instantly deflated. That was the tone he used when he thought he did or said something and ended up glitching.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled."

Sometimes he was so normal, she forgot that he even _had_ glitches anymore. They hadn't put his brain back in, but with a stable support network of friends, his brain functions had improved significantly over the years.

He gave her a shy smile. She was forgiven.

"But I'm still sort of reeling from the fact that the public will be aware of all of this."

Glitch's smile was more genuine.

"Oh I know!" he gushed. "This is going to be the highlight of everyone's year!"

She found herself smiling at his enthusiasm despite her unhappy revelation.

"Great…" She shook her head and looked back at the photos. "Well." In light of certain information, she thought to herself. She tapped Jonathon's picture. "Still. I guess he's the last one then."

Glitch's eyes were narrowed at her when she looked up.

"Is he _really_ the last one?"

She narrowed her eyes right back, trying to not let her face reveal anything.

"Yeah."

His skepticism didn't disappear.

"Riiiiiiiiiight…"

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A/N: PSYCH! Hahahahahahahahaha


	6. Round 4

A/N: I'm slacking at responding to all of your wonderful reviews. I'm a bit pressed for time nowadays. Just know that I love you and this long chapter with WIN at the end is for you.

Prompt: ~Luck~

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And DG thought her birthday was a long day.

She pushed her way into one of the private suites, to which only the Royal Family and close friends had access. She just needed to avoid her Mother and her 'follow up questions,' for just a bit longer.

As if the dates weren't awkward enough.

She headed straight to the chaise at the far end of the room and fell face first into the cushions, her feet propped up at the wrong end. She was still for a moment before she noticed that her nose was unpleasantly squished against the pillow and the edge of Cain's necklace was pressing against her throat.

She made a noise of frustration, which ended up sounding like a congested goose, and shifted so she could pull the necklace away from her neck and let it dangle off the side of the furniture. She then resumed her flopped-down-dead position with a dramatic sigh.

Unfortunately there was only a beat or two of silence. The sound of a newspaper page being turned was deafening.

"So I take it, it's going well?"

Of _course_.

"Uh huh," she answered non-commitally. She slowly lifted her head up and began sliding her arms up in front of her. Not quite as subtle as she would have liked, but she had the irrational urge to hide the necklace from him. No doubt he had noticed it already.

Her eyes peered over her arm at him. No need to show too much of her now enflamed skin. She could feel her hair was flipped the wrong way on top of her head and one of her shoes was dangling off the end of her foot.

Real attractive DG.

He, however, definitely was. He was wearing THE pants and one of his better, dark green button-up shirts she noticed. His feet were propped up in front of him, crossed at the ankle, and he was lounging in one of the roomy armchairs in the corner of the room in the alcove by the door.

"How is _your_ day going?" She asked dryly, making it clear she didn't want to talk about hers.

Even though that was exactly what she wanted to do. Sit and spend time with him again. Hell, curling up in that chair-and-a-half with him sounded pretty fantastic at this point. She hadn't seen him in days and she was afraid he was upset that he wasn't on the list.

But she still didn't know if he had even wanted to _be_ on the damn list!

His lips pursed into a hint of a smile. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"As luck would have it…not so bad."

He began folding up his newspaper. DG's eyes narrowed as she tried to sneakily fix her hair with the arm farthest away from him. She also tucked the necklace back under the neckline of her dress.

As luck would…Who does he think he is? Being all smooth like that…

"Why, what happened?" She could play dumb, just to see if he was going with this where she thought he was.

Now a faint smile really was on his face as he placed the paper on the table beside him, but it disappeared before he looked up at her.

"Well. I overslept this morning," he began matter-o-factly. "And so I missed breakfast with Jeb, and therefore our planned excursion for the day. Then I was accosted by Glitch for hours until I finally managed to sneak in here."

She shifted so that she was on her side with her head propped up on an elbow. She ran a hand down her leg, kicking off her shoes, and curling her feet up beneath the folds of her dress as she contemplated his story.

"That doesn't sound lucky at all."

When she looked up, she caught him staring at her neckline for a moment before meeting her eyes. His lips pressed together in a funny line and he shrugged a shoulder.

"Right now it's not so bad…"

A small smile appeared on her face in spite of herself. She just _knew_ something like that was coming. She just didn't know why it still made her stomach flip flop. And something else entirely well up inside of her.

"Pfffff!" She burst out laughing. "Oh, COME on!" That got a full blown smile from him. "You can do better than _that_…"

She could tell he was shaking with silent laughter even as he raised an elbow to the armrest and scrubbed a hand over his face.

"You're right. That was terrible."

"Yes. Please try again."

She could do this. It was just Cain after all. They could always laugh it off. It's not like this was an official date. This was WAY easier than any conversation she's had with suitors. She couldn't stop giggling, even as it occurred to her that she had just given him encouragement to court her.

He gave her a look, but it was gone before it had really registered, and then he was shaking his head at the floor and smiling again.

"No, no. I've made enough of an ass of myself already." He pushed himself up out of his chair.

DG's face fell, and for a moment she was frozen. Did she upset him? Then she began pushing herself up too.

"Well…" she trailed off, completely unsure of how to read the situation. "No, wait. You were here first." She raced across the room to get to the door first. "You don't have to leave because I'm here!"

"Don't be ridiculous." He frowned at her. She met him at the door, and brushed some hair out of her face.

"No I insist! Crap!" She spun and ran back for her shoes. "I can go hide somewhere else."

Her arm flailed as she tried to maintain her balance while slipping on a shoe. She grabbed the other one and turned back, trying to put it on when she was halfway there. She hopped over to him and put her hand on his shoulder for balance. He grasped her elbow to help steady her.

"Thanks," she breathed when she finally got the shoe over her heel. "Really. Please stay." He shook his head, and cut her off before she could speak again, placing both hands on her upper arms.

"It's fine, DG."

They stared at each other for a moment, and then they realized just how close they were. DG was about to say something when one of his hands moved to her neck and picked up the chain. He pulled it towards him and he tugged the daisy into view. DG had never blushed so hard in her life. He locked eyes with her, as he let go of the chain.

"It seems like you needed a minute alone more than I did anyway."

She could barely breathe. She felt like her skin was on fire. She was practically vibrating she was so nervous.

His hand went back to her arm and he leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek. It was longer than the other one, but she still barely had time for her eyes to flutter shut before he had released her.

"See you tomorrow," he said with a nod.

She found herself giving him a jerky nod in return before she realized what he said.

"Uh…Tomorrow?"

She had no idea why she sounded bewildered.

"Tomorrow," he confirmed with a small smile before shutting the door. She stared at it for a minute.

Did he just tell her they had a date?

Yeah.

"Right."


	7. Round 5

A/N: /HIATUS. My ex-roommate of two years came to visit this weekend. I was a bit preoccupied eating awesome food, shopping, watching Burlesque, and partaking in all around nonsense. I'm going to miss her terribly. Prompt ~Symbol~

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DG shifted in her seat and propped her head up on her elbow, smiling at her date.

She had no idea he could be so charming. He was definitely the most genuine out of all of the suitors. Never went out of his way to impress her, but was still effectively putting himself out in front of the field as far as she was concerned.

The more he learned about her, the more he tried to tailor their dates to accommodate her interests as well as showing her some of his. He taught her how to use a lasso and she was delighted to find out that he was a farm boy himself and unafraid of getting his hands dirty. They traveled to a nearby waterfall and surprised her with art supplies.

He also had a way of taking a potentially cheesy and romantic situation and making it much more relaxed and comfortable, for which DG was eternally grateful. Once he paddled them out on the lake next to Central City in a boat for two and they talked animatedly about everything from cars to siblings to childhood mishaps to their futures and how they hadn't gone exactly the way they had hoped. There was never once an awkward silence.

She learned that he could play the guitar and she had badgered him until he agreed to play for her, which was what he was doing now. He didn't try to sing, or play a romantic song, he just played one of his favorites and was damn good at it. He was also good enough that she could play a recording of a song from the other side and he could play it back almost immediately. It was uncanny.

She was pretty sure she blew his mind when she played a song with an electric guitar. They only had acoustic guitars on this side. For now anyway. And judging by the light in his eye, he would be one of the first people to be ALL over that trend.

He finished playing a rather unique version of the Super Mario Brothers theme and DG began golf-clapping in an effort not to embarrass him too much. He was rather humble about his playing.

"That was pretty good, Jonathon!" She gave him a genuine smile.

He laughed to himself, clearly not believing her.

"I had no idea what I was doing…"

Her smile never lessoned as she laughed too.

"Well I'd give it points for originality anyway."

He scoffed at her, acting hurt, though he was still smiling.

"Well gee, thanks."

"No really. I think your playing is really amazing. Have you written anything yourself?"

A small, hesitant smile came over his face and he looked off to the side.

"Yes," he answered quietly. "Yes I have."

She recognized that sort of look. It was like the one she got when people asked to see her artwork. She tilted her head.

"But it's not ready to be shared with the world, is it?"

He looked up and stared at her for a long moment before he gave her a lopsided smile.

"How do you do that?" He seemed to be in awe of her.

"Do what?"

"It's like you can read my mind."

Whoa. They were treading into a semi-serious conversation for once. She shrugged.

"I'll try and stop understanding you immediately."

His lips twitched into a smile and he shifted in his seat.

"No," he said quietly. His eyes were glancing back and forth between hers. "Don't do that."

Her smile was a lot more hesitant and she felt a few butterflies start to fly around in her stomach. Oh boy.

"Either you need to make up your mind or it's already too late to tell me that."

There was another long pause where he studied her face, for what she had no idea. He was about to say something else when the clock in the room began to chime at the end of the hour. DG broke away from his gaze and glanced at the clock, almost cursing it. When she looked back, Jonathon had set his guitar to the side and stood up. He offered her a hand as she stood as well.

She felt compelled to say something. They had been having a legitimate _moment_. And now they were staring at each other again. And he hadn't let go of her hand.

"Jonathon-" she looked off to the side.

"May I kiss you?" he queried.

She looked back at him, surprised. He looked almost worried. She swallowed the lump in her throat, frowning at him before dryly voicing her confusion.

"You always kiss me…"

It was the custom. The dates ended with a kiss on the cheek like always. It was…the symbol of courtship. Even if she talked to one of them in passing, in the hall, they would kiss her on the cheek and it would signify to everyone that they were one of the ones courting her.

He lifted a hand and cupped her jaw. He studied her face, and glanced down at her lips before trying to swallow the lump in his own throat.

Oh. Goosebumps appeared on her skin, but faded just as quickly .

"Uh…a _real_ kiss. I meant…"

He was just about the most chivalrous person she had ever met. He was actually asking for permission first instead of just diving in. Nobody else had done that. They usually just went for it and DG would have to turn her cheek toward them, or start a very awkward situation as she ducked away.

But this time?

"Does it look like I'm trying to stop you?"

"I guess not."

They shared a smile before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers for exactly two seconds. DG still had her eyes closed after he had straightened in front of her. Her eyes fluttered open and her brow furrowed.

"That's it?" He raised an eyebrow at her question. "After all of that. _Two_ seconds?"

He chuckled.

"I didn't want to push my luck."

He had to be joking. What wasn't there to like about this guy? Was he a tik tok or something!

She gave him a disbelieving stare before she put her hands on either side of his face and went up on her toes to press her lips to his again. His arms caught her elbows, but as she leaned into him, he moved his lips over hers hesitantly and his hands slid to her back.

DG pulled back after a few moments, making sure she wasn't pushing _his_ boundaries. His eyes were clouded with lust and it was only a few heat-filled-staring seconds later before he leaned down again, this time sliding an arm clear around her waist and kissing her harder. Another few long seconds later he released her and she rocked back on her heels, releasing the hold she apparently had on his shirt collar as well.

DG tried to wipe the dazed look off of her face as she straightened his shirt. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

Oh, she really liked his rumbly voice.

"Yeah," she answered breathlessly.

He took her hand and led her to the door of the parlor they were in. He opened the door for her and followed her through, never dropping her hand.

There were other people walking up and down the corridor. They were trying not to stare at DG and her date. Cain was at the end of the hall. She could feel it. The goosebumps were back.

"I'm glad I got to play for you, Princess." He was all respect now that they had an audience. It sometimes made her wonder what he was like when she wasn't around either.

"Yes, we should do that again sometime." She tried not to look down the hallway. This was still Jonathon's time. She smiled at him. "I can play more Jimmy Page for you."

"I would like that very much." He really was attractive when he smiled.

He glanced around quickly before leaning down and giving her light kiss to the lips. She blushed lightly and gave him a small smile in return.

"Okay, _now_ you might be pushing your luck." His laugh echoed down the hall. That earned him a light punch to the arm. "I'm serious, Mr. Cole," she told him, but her smile betrayed her.

"Yeah, right," he said lightly.

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A/N: GOTCHA AGAIN! Hahaha. I kind of really want you guys to like Jonathon…Because _I_ like Jonathon. I don't know why, I just DO. Besides. Cain has to have SOME competition... Yes/no?


	8. Round 5 point 5

A/N: Prompt ~Bizarre~

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So apparently Cain hadn't meant a date. He meant _literally_ seeing her the next day.

It was like every time she was in a hallway or a common area, he happened to be there too. In between meetings and dates and meals. It was rather odd to her that after days of not seeing him, he was suddenly everywhere.

Then again, maybe it wasn't so bizarre.

At first he caught her off guard. He surprised her with coffee and light banter before her first date. He even pecked her on the cheek in greeting. When he bumped into her again she thought it was just a happy coincidence. The third time she was a bit suspicious, but she wasn't about to start complaining. After all, the man was at a disadvantage for not having an established amount of time with her.

She thought later, after a quick stroll through the gardens with him, that he was also cheating because he could come up with excuses to see her all day and keep him fresh in her mind when the others only had their allotted times. Again, she didn't complain. She was just as eager to test out this new side of him as he was to spend time with her.

She thought that the age aspect would be difficult, as far as common interests went, and a sort of generation gap of experiences would be hard to overcome. But she was completely wrong. Of course he had seen a lot more than she had, but they had both 'come back' to the OZ at the same time, and so that helped clean the slate so to speak.

She always had a thing for the mature yet funny type. Considering he had already started a family gave him maturity points, and his playful attitude that she had only seen every once in awhile in the past few years was more prominent now, he was definitely staying at the front of her mind.

The necklace also reminded her of him almost constantly. Depending on the activity throughout her dates, the daisy would nearly come free, or if it did and she didn't notice, her date would ask her about it. Even when she was about to kiss Jonathon, his fingers had caught on the necklace momentarily and DG got so flustered she nearly couldn't go through with it.

But that brought her to her current dilemma. He had seen her kiss Jonathon, however chastely, in the hall. She would admit to thinking initiating jealousy would be a good idea, but now she just felt bad. He was still gallantly charming after he caught up with her later, but she could tell something was off.

She would have to right this. And soon. She still wanted to give him a chance. She just needed to let him know that he was still in the running.

"Yeah," she said aloud to herself as a plan formed in her mind.

Right.

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A/N: I feel bad for not posting for this story for two days…And it's crunch time for the challenge. And I'm sick of trying to end all of the chapters with 'Yeah right.' It was a funny/a challenge at first, but now it's just annoying. I'm going to stop unless it actually makes sense.


	9. Round 6

A/N: *Inserts dramatic music* _When last we met, Bryce was being an asshat to Cain and her adoring fans. Could DG really be finding love elsewhere? Will DG manage to let Cain know that he is still in the running for her hand in marriage? Will Cain throw Jonathon out of a window? Will TabathaBrewer go unchecked as the self-proclaimed #1 fan of Bryce's stories? Will Bryce EVER get on with THIS damn story? She now offers this chapter as an apology for stringing you and poor Cain along. _

Prompt ~Eight~

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DG was trying to be subtle.

She was trying to make light conversation with Cain. He continued to occasionally test their boundaries, but it wasn't like he ever did anything drastic. Like kiss her, which was extremely disappointing to her for some odd reason. Everyone else had tried, so why hadn't he? She could tell that he still wasn't sure where he stood with her. Though really, she was practically sitting on top of the man at the moment…

So maybe subtlety wasn't exactly her thing.

"This one..." she pointed at his palm, fingertip barely tracing his skin."Is your love line."

Okay, REALLY wasn't her thing...

The past few days had been admittedly hectic. And so she was trying to make up for it now. She had found him in that same, semi-private, parlor as before. She noticed him right away this time, and instead of sitting in the chair across from him, she sat on the arm rest of his chair-and-a-half, which is just like it sounds to those with enquiring minds. Not quite a one person chair and not quite a loveseat.

Perfect.

After exchanging pleasantries she had noticed him rubbing his left palm awkwardly. She snatched it up and began over-dramatically studying and twisting it around.

"Well no wonder!" She exclaimed.

He furrowed his brow at her, looking mildly alarmed.

"What?"

"Scoot." She nudged his thigh with her foot. He moved over what little he could, and she gracefully spun and slid into the space next him.

And by that she meant she slid off the arm rest so that her back went across his lap and rested against the far arm rest, while her feet dangled off the other end. She still had his hand in hers, though it now rested in her lap. She then began to share her vast knowledge of palm reading.

Back in the present, he shifted beneath her.

"And what does it say?" His voice was decidedly more shiver-inducing than Jonathon's. Her thumbs massaged his palm and she gave him a look before a shy smile appeared on her face.

"I have no idea."

He laughed, the vibrations shaking her as well. His fingers curled around hers.

"You don't have a clue what you're doing, do you?"

She pouted briefly.

"None," she muttered before chuckling as well.

They shared a smile. The moment was then shattered by a knock on the door.

"DG?" Glitch's voice carried through from the hallway.

She sighed heavily and moved to push herself off of him. She spun her feet off of the chair and he squeezed her hand briefly as she moved away. She gave him a light squeeze back and a fleeting smile before moving to the chair across from him and answering Glitch.

"Yeah, come on in."

"Hey, Doll," he acknowledged her as she settled herself into the chair. "I wanted to-" His head did a double take when he saw Cain as well. "Oh! Hey Cain! Would you mind if I borrowed DG? We need to update her list."

DG watched for his reaction. Cain frowned and looked mildly annoyed. Nothing extreme for a close friend. His eyes slid to hers and she gave him a sympathetic smile. Then it dawned on her.

Perfect.

"Oh that's okay Glitch. Cain can be here for this. It's fine with me."

Glitch shrugged and sat down on the foot stool between them, rearranging some papers on a clipboard. Cain's hands paused on either armrest, ready to push himself up. He furrowed his brow at her in question. She shrugged with a smile.

"Okay. So who have you eliminated so far?"

"Are you kidding?" She laughed. "It'd be way easier to name who is still on it."

"Why, how many are left?" Glitch asked, erasing something at the top of his paper. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Eight." Her brow furrowed. "I think." She shook her head. "I forget."

Cain looked unimpressed, while Glitch cocked his head and looked understanding. "Shall I read them off and you say yes or no?" Glitch said with a look of upmost concentration.

"Sure." DG pulled her feet up beside her in her chair and began fiddling with her necklace absently. She counted off with her fingers as Glitch went down the list.

"No - too short…" She waved off their inquiring looks. "He's like a munchkin and I can't get over it." Glitch resumed. "No, he was too pushy…" She studiously avoided Cain's gaze. "Yes, he's really funny…No, he seemed to be more in love with his horses…Yes, he isn't terrified of Az. Yet…No. Headcases make him uncomfortable."

She and Cain smiled at each other. They loved Glitch's quirks, even if they were unsettling to most people. Glitch didn't notice her aside.

"Hell no…No, too shy…No, too foreign…We had absolutely nothing in common, so no…Yes, he's very thoughtful…" Cain sighed dramatically.

Of course he didn't like Jonathon.

"No…Yes, I need to argue with him some more." A raised eyebrow. "…Yes, he promised to cook for me…No, we never clicked…No, he was too forward…Yes…No, too mushy...Ehhhhhhhhh, yes…No."

Glitch tapped a pencil down the list.

"I'm only counting seven names, DG," Glitch informed her.

"What? No, there's eight!" She dropped the necklace as she sat up to hold out her fingers as she counted. "There's Michael and Ashton and Robert and Coby and Miles and Andrew and Jonathon and W- " She had an eighth finger up and her lips had started to form the name Wyatt, and then she abruptly cut herself off. She bit her lips and her eyes were wide as she stared at Glitch and tried not to look guilty. "I mean…"

Glitch's whole posture perked up, whereas Cain merely propped his head up on his elbow and crossed an ankle over his knee. There was a pause before Cain spoke.

"Eight, huh?" Her eyes slid to Cain and she could tell he was fighting a smug grin, his eyes alight with mirth.

"Oh, so there IS an unlisted one…" Glitch instantly turned into a gossiping teenager. "Come on. You can tell us, Doll! Spill!"

DG felt herself blush despite this being the plan. It was just so different when he was…staring at her. She sat back and picked up the daisy, holding it in her fist in front of her mouth as a shield.

"No, I'm good," she mumbled. They both kept staring at her, making her shiver. "Are we done? Okay!" she answered herself, standing up. "Let's go to dinner."

Glitch scoffed good naturedly.

"Oh, you're no fun," he complained, standing up with his clipboard in hand. "No fun at all."

He turned and began making his way to the door after her. She opened the door and gestured for them to go first. Glitch gave her one last disappointed frown before leaving and heading down the hall. She watched him round the corner as Cain stepped up next to her. She could tell he had his head tilted at her in her.

"Well that was…educational."

She turned to look at him, one hand still holding the door open. She smiled shyly, feeling her stomach flop. If he didn't kiss her this time…

"I figured it would be…" she said carefully. He stared at her for a moment before blinking his thoughts away.

"We should catch up with Glitch," he muttered, stepping forward to press a kiss to her cheek.

Oh hell no. She turned her face towards him, which made him pause, but her words were what froze him in place.

"Why won't you _really _kiss me?" she whispered when they were nearly sharing the same breath. She almost sounded hurt. His eyes drifted up to hers, surprised. "Everyone else has at least tried, but you…" she trailed off, looking at his lips.

WHAT, was she doing? This was one of her best friends. This was absolutely one of those no-longer-friends lines that she was toeing. An official one. Can she really bring herself to kiss Wyatt Cain?

"… but you haven't seemed to want to share more than a platonic…" she trailed off again. His eyes had shifted in the time she had looked away from them.

"Is this really about me not kissing you, DG?"

Whoa boy. Her name on his lips did funny things to her. That and the phrase 'kissing you' in the same sentence. Even if he was being all…growly. He quieted his voice.

"Or is this about what the rest of _them_ have been doing?"

She moved to deny it but then he looked quickly out into the hall. He shifted the door most of the way closed with one hand and pushing her backward gently, with his fingers around her belly button, all in one motion. She was so surprised by the almost intimate touch and him stepping further into her space that she didn't notice he had her backed against the wall until her butt bumped into it and she straightened with a gasp.

"Because, _trust _me," his voice had gotten a lot lower.

He moved his arm from her stomach so that his elbow was resting on the wall next to her, bringing his mouth next to her ear. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she fought a shiver. His fingers brushed her hair over her shoulder and away from her neck.

"I am _not_ one of them," he whispered over her skin. She felt her breath rush out of her. "When I kiss you, I'll be…" His lips brushed over her jaw. "…absolutely…" He paused and ran a hand down her arm. "…one hundred percent…" His fingers splayed over her back, and she was held within a hair's breadth of him. "…sure you are ready." She slowly opened her eyes.

And then he released her.

He stepped back and pulled the door open that he had never released that entire time. He gave her a smoldering look and held out a hand to her.

"We should get going to dinner," he said, a small, knowing smile crept over his face. She slowly placed her hand in his and he helped peel her away from the wall.

She was lost to him and she knew it.

"Yeah…right…"

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A/N: HA! I wasn't even trying with that one. Oh, and ummm, I guess that apology didn't hold up for very long…


	10. Round 7

A/N: This story has gotten an awesome response from you guys and I love you for it. NO MORE PROMPTS! Woooooooooooooooooooooot.

Also, this and probably the next chapter, goes out to Animegus Farmus and muse. I need to make up for oh so rudely forcing a (REALLY GOOD) idea on them… *smiles angelically* Please don't put me on 'The List'….

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DG went about the next day on autopilot and she was helpless to stop herself. She had noticed two very important things last night when Wyatt had her cornered.

One: Wyatt Cain had said WHEN not IF he kisses her.

Two: The power he had over her was MUCH muchmuchmuch stronger than she had ever imagined.

Both of which, scared the crap out of her.

She knew she had been attracted to Wyatt before this whole courtship nonsense. She had thought, on more than one occasion, that he was very good looking though he was clearly hands off. Every once in a while she would catch a glimpse of him that made her think, 'That would be nice,' but she never seriously considered pursuing anything. She was just afraid to make an ass out of herself considering the circumstances.

He had been a very devoted family man before the Tin Suit. Of course she had been originally greeted with the overly agitated and intense side of him, but she wasn't fooled. He just wanted his family back. She could relate.

And so a close friendship had formed, and while they had occasionally said something to one another that was close to flirting, she had never really read much into it before now. But now…now, everything was just so much…more. He was really putting himself out there for her and so she felt she owed it to him to give him a chance. She just hadn't realized how quickly he would implant himself as a serious candidate in her mind.

A few whispered words and the promise of 'more later' and she realized just how _badly_ she wanted this. With him. Specifically.

Guh, _words_.

She had easily seen the camaraderie between them but last night had cemented the _other_ half of the relationship he was beginning to establish with her. Her stomach flip flopped.

WHAT was she getting herself into?

She smoothed the front of her pale blue dress for the 4 thousandth time that day. She was giving each of the seven other suitors one final chance to really impress her…or something. She had quietly told the four that she had seen today that she no longer wished to continue their courtship. Tomorrow she would meet with the final three.

But first there was a press conference.

She took one more deep breath before walking out into the 'media room,' ignoring all of the flashbulbs going off and the chatter of reporters already yelling their questions. When she reached the podium, she held up a hand for them to quiet down.

"Now I know…" she silenced the last few murmurs of the reporters with a glare. "I know there has been a lot of speculation and gossip over my decisions today. I know some of the suitors that I…dismissed," she frowned at the term. "…were crowd favorites."

She rolled her eyes and huffed with a smile. She still found the way people followed this whole debacle so closely to be utterly ridiculous. The reporters politely chuckled as they furiously wrote down every word and some pushed their microphones closer. They knew of her disdain when it came to the public watching and judging her every decision.

"And so I agreed to this meeting this evening to answer some of those questions that I just _know_ you're just dying to ask…" she said dryly, and this time a legitimate laugh was heard around the room. They began to all hold up their hands, but she pointed to the woman in purple near the front, elbowing the pushy men beside her.

"Is it true that you have reached a decision, Your Highness? It seems to be the only explanation for eliminating so many in one day." The woman pushed her glasses up further on the bridge of her nose with her pen. DG fought a put-upon sigh.

"Well obviously I haven't reached anything final as of yet, considering I'm still seeing the other suitors tomorrow." Her smile was fake and she knew it. More flashbulbs went off. She pointed to the gentlemen in blue in the second row.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Word on the street is that you still wish to remain friends with some of the suitors that were sent home today. Politically speaking especially. How do you expect to remain on good terms with them after sending them packing so abruptly?"

Her smile was decidedly strained now.

"Well of course, I never imagined my personal life would _ever_ be this involved with my political one, but I still aimed to separate the two as I went through this process and urged them to do the same. All I can do now is hope for the best and wish them no hard feelings."

Next, she nodded to a man in dark green.

"Your Highness, let's be honest. There's only _one_ crowd favorite left out of the final three you have to see tomorrow. It seems painfully obvious that Jonathon Cole and yourself have grown quite close."

Now, for whatever reason, she was irrationally annoyed with the thought of Jonathon. How many times were they going to bug her about him during each interview?

"Was there a question in there somewhere?" she asked politely with another fake smile. The other reporters chuckled. And a few more flashes appeared around the room.

"Please, put us out of our misery. Instead of having us wait through _three_ more whole dates to see who comes out victorious – because despite what you said, Istill think you have already made your decision – why don't you just admit that you would like to be _Mrs. Jonathon Cole_?"

DG tried not to let her face change drastically but something the reporter repeated had tripped something in her mind. A mischievous plot sparked in her mind and she felt her lips curling into a smile. The flashbulbs increased around the room. Her fingers drummed along the side of the podium for a moment before she made her decision.

"Are you _sure_ there are only three left?"

Her smile was positively radiant now. The room nearly flashed white as everyone started yelling questions again and waving.

"Princess DG! Did one of the suitors from today make it through to the next round?"

"Your Highness! Are you confirming the rumors of an UNLISTED suitor? Who is he!"

"Your Highness, surely you haven't been concealing another suitor from us!"

"Princess! Please tell us who the last date is with!"

She simply beamed at the positively rambunctious crowd. She _loved_ it when they didn't have any stinging questions prepared. Why hadn't she done this sooner? It would have saved her the trouble of those first few questions.

Rather than answer any more questions, she waved to them and walked off to the side. Not one of the best ways to end an interview, she would admit, but it would give them PLENTY to gossip about in tomorrow's tabloids.

She met Az just outside in the hall. She had been watching a live broadcast in the next room over.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about, Little Sister?"

She smirked. Her sister had been one of the biggest closet fans of this entire saga.

"And ruin the surprise? Yeah right!"


	11. Round 8

A/N: So I turned old…er this weekend. /hiatus. This chapter came about as a lingering thought from the end of the last chapter and a poke from Queen Isabella…You're welcome. ;)

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Twenty candid pictures hung on the wall. Pro-con lists were taped next to each. Numbers were scribbled under each of the names. Each picture contained the grainy image of a suitor and herself on a date. Seventeen of the suitors' faces had a red X painted on them.

DG smiled.

The murmuring in the room was hushed, agitated, and very very fast all at once. The group of about ten people was huddled together arguing over something beneath the pictures.

"I can't believe this!" One of the chefs, Marty, exclaimed.

"I'm surprised she's kept something like this from us," DG's mother sounded hurt.

"Even Raw not see this coming," said Raw.

"It was her right to keep it to herself," Cain's bored drawl was heard, earning him glares from the rest.

"She mentioned something last night but I wasn't sure she was serious…" Glitch lamented.

"GLITCH! How could you just NOW be telling us this! Tell us EXACTLY what happened…" Azkadellia screeched.

DG heard Glitch's hushed tones rush through the story and suddenly Az spun and waved a hand at the wall, removing all of the pictures with red X's, sending them flying around the room.

"We need a list of potentials Right. The Hell. Now," she exclaimed, her face the perfect picture of determination. Another wave and the three remaining pictures rearranged themselves near the top of the board while an image of a silhouette with a ? across the face appeared beside them.

"Azkadellia, really," her mother, admonished.

"No I agree!" Ahamo said loudly, stepping up beside his daughter to stare at the chalkboard entitled 'Betting Pool.' "This calls for some last minute scrambling."

"Just don't scramble yourself too hard, Dad," DG called from the doorway. Her family and friends, as well as a few miscellaneous staff, turned with guilty expressions to see DG leaning against the frame with her arms crossed in front of her looking unimpressed.

Cain smirked at her from the back of the crowd. He had been trying to get her to crash this party with him for days. While it had been entertaining to him originally, he said he was getting bored with the constant rehashing of the same old theories every day.

Especially since he couldn't legitimately give them his own.

DG pushed herself away from the door and walked slowly down into the small parlor in a secluded part of the palace that they had converted into what Glitch had dubbed, 'Suitor Saga Enthusiast Anonymous.' Her eyes roamed over each of their faces before looking up at the board with interest.

"So…" she said slowly, narrowing her eyes at Az and Glitch, by far the two looking the most nervous. Suddenly her expression brightened. "Do you have any one in mind yet?" she nodded to the board behind her with a smile.

There was a collective sigh of relief. Her sister's eyes lit up and Glitch cocked his head with a smile.

"Or should I save you hours of arguing and debate?" she teased. DG's eyes had drifted to Cain's and lingered. His smile was nearly imperceptible, and he casually glanced at the door and back to her.

Permission granted. So long as he can get the hell out of there in one piece.

The group was surprisingly silent. She threw up her hands at the group's lack of immediate response.

"Can you keep a secret or not?" she asked them.

The resounding 'Yes! Please tell us!' from about seven different voices made her rear back in surprise for a moment.

"Oh…" she suddenly turned demure. "Okay then." She turned back to the board. "First of all." She pointed at the pictures which shimmered into better, if not more intimate and couple-like moments that she had had with the three men. "Those need updated."

She turned back to see the women in the room swoon at the sight of new pictures to gush over. Whether it was just a hug, a special smile, or even a kiss displayed in the picture. Everyone moved closer to the board. DG moved over to Wyatt and grabbed his wrist, tugging him towards the door. They were about halfway there before anyone noticed she had moved.

"Wait. What about -" Az trailed off as she noticed Wyatt linking his fingers with DG's.

The pair slowed to a stop reluctantly. DG looked at their hands, up to Wyatt, and then back over her shoulder at the others. The corner of her mouth upturned at the looks they were receiving. She looked back at Wyatt to see a similar smile on his face. He nodded to the door.

"Quick. Before they figure it out," he said unhurriedly.

She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her and then took off running, pulling him along. Protests were shouted behind them. He barked out a laugh and she smiled a little brighter as she pushed open the door flicked a hand behind her at the board and turned to head down the hall.

The fourth picture morphed into an image of her and Wyatt. It was while she had been 'reading' his palm. She was smiling at his hand and he was smiling at her; the two of them curled up in the same chair.

The SSEA gaped at the door and then at each other before suspiciously looking at Raw.

"Raw still not see this coming…" he murmured pathetically. Jeb shrugged.

"I helped him make the necklace," he said nonchalantly.

"WHAT!" came a collective shout.

"WHAT NECKLACE!" Marty yelled.

"Does she know what jewelry means in this realm?" Ahamo asked worriedly.

"Cain proposed!" the Queen asked, wide eyed.

"I thought I saw her wearing one!" a maid blurted.

"Oh my Stars, they've been engaged this whole time!" One of the butlers, Gerald, threaded his fingers through his hair, looking like he wanted to pull it out.

Glitch began glitching silently. His head merely twitched.

"JEB CAIN! Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Az scolded him.

Jeb raised an eyebrow at Az.

"You mean _besides_ my father being here for every meeting?" She looked sufficiently snubbed.

"Oh, right…" she murmured. Jeb squinted at her, nodding.

"Yeeeahh…."

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A/N: O.O I KNOW right! It's all coming together in my head and I'm super excited. You should relax though. All will be explained in due time. Seriously. Just flail for now, and ask questions later…


	12. Round 8 point 5

A/N: Semi-unplanned and gratuitous FLUFF.

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When they got to the end of the hallway Wyatt took over leading and tugged her towards a staircase.

"This way," he flashed a smile before pushing open the door leading to a spiral staircase. She smiled back, amused that he seemed to be excited about something.

"I thought this led to the lookout?"

She tilted her head at him as she pulled the door shut behind her. This tower was essentially abandoned considering the OZ was experiencing peace once again. While there was still security and a military presence throughout the realm, they were extremely relaxed for the most part.

He looked back at her briefly, before turning away with a smile.

"What? Don't you trust me?"

She huffed at him.

"Well of course I do…" He smirked at her, pulling her up the stairs after him. "But I'm still allowed to question your intentions aren't I?"

He stopped abruptly and she nearly ran into him. He gave her an almost wide-eyed look, sizing her up. She pressed her lips together, raising her eyebrows at him. His expression turned to amusement. Finally he looked at the wall, and then back up the stairs and began climbing again.

Alright then.

She smothered a laugh as she was dragged behind him. Apparently she had made him speechless. He was cute when he was embarrassed.

When they finally reached the top, Wyatt's fingers wrapped around the door handle and he hesitated. He opened his mouth to say something but when he looked at her his lips curled into a smile as he thought better of it. Her brow furrowed, but she smiled anyway, knowing he was thinking of what she had said earlier. He shook his head slightly before pushing open the door and leading her outside.

Whoa...

DG was gaping and she knew it.

"Oh, you've _got_ to be kidding me…" she murmured.

The fresh air swirled around her like a warm embrace, making her curls float around her face. The glow from the city lights softly lit Wyatt's features and she returned his knowing smile.

Dinner with a view.

Okay, so this was sweet and romantic and not exactly what she had suspected, she'd give him that. They made their way over to the two lounge chairs he had set up on either side of a picnic basket. DG dropped his hand in favor of leaning against the parapet, peering out over Central City. It really was beautiful at night. She had never taken the time to really look at it when it was aglow like this and she felt herself smiling.

Cain stepped up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to her temple. Her smile grew and she reached up and ran a hand down the chain of her necklace, pulling it out into view. She leaned into him and rested her arms on his with a sigh.

This just felt right.

CDGCDGCDGCDG

Later DG found herself sitting sideways in between Wyatt's legs and curled against his side. A blanket was draped over them and she was wrapped in his arms as he sat back on one of the lounge chairs. They had long since finished snacking on the fruits, cheeses, and crackers he had packed. She lazily brushed a foot against his and sighed, repositioning her head on his chest. Her eyelids felt heavy.

The hand she had resting on his chest continued to toy with the daisy like she had been for the last few minutes. Finally he ran a hand up her forearm, over her wrist, and entwined his fingers with hers and the flower.

"I need to tell you something," he whispered after a moment. Her fingers stopped moving but she didn't open her eyes.

"Shhhhhhhh," she whispered back, her brow furrowing.

He huffed at her. When he inhaled deeply again to speak, DG beat him to the punch.

"Don't," her command was barely there, and she curled tighter around him. "Don't ruin it."

He sighed half-heartedly at her.

"And how do you know if what I was going to say would 'ruin it'?"

She smiled into his chest.

"I just do…" she whispered simply.

He was silent for a moment, obviously wrestling with himself over something. Finally he relented, and wrapped his arms more tightly around her. He moved his head so that his lips were pressed against her hairline and breathed deeply. She could only imagine that he had closed his eyes as well.

Another few minutes passed before Cain whispered again.

"I'm glad you're here."

DG smiled sleepily.

"That's not what you were going to say…"

He breathed a laugh.

"Yeah…you're right."


	13. Round 9

A/N: *Grins* Are you ready for the end?

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DG couldn't even bring herself to worry her bottom lip between her teeth.

Wyatt hadn't kissed her last night. Not even after all of the cuddling in front of a romantic view and whispered conversations. He had walked her back to her door, she had smiled softly up at him, and then he kissed her forehead. She tried to not look too disappointed.

But she had bigger issues at the moment.

It came in the form of a small emerald, surrounded by diamonds, and linked together in the shape of a bracelet by Moruptamiam.

Her dinner for two had been silent for a solid five minutes as she and Jonathon stared at the jewelry box he had set between them. She hazarded a glance up at him and he was staring at the bracelet as if it were a firing squad.

She looked back down and tried to think of something to say.

"I can't do this," he said finally.

She continued to stare at the prettiest bracelet she had ever seen.

"Me neither…" she whispered back.

CDGCDGCDGCDGCDG

She managed to avoid her family after her date ended with Jonathon. Or so she thought. She almost made it to her door before Azkadellia and Glitch caught up with her.

"DG? What's wrong?" she asked, noticing DG's blank stare. DG slowly shook her head.

"Nothing," she said quietly. She continued walking, head down, as she rounded the last corner before her bedroom. "He gave me a bracelet."

Az and Glitch gasped and surged forward to say something, but ran as they turned the corner, they bumped into the back of DG because she had stopped walking abruptly.

Wyatt was standing by her door looking stricken.

The four of them stood stock still for a moment before Az slipped around DG to face her.

"He…" Her sister glanced back at Glitch for a moment, before looking at DG, and taking her hand. "He proposed?" she asked gently. DG continued to stare at Wyatt.

After a few seconds, she finally broke out of her trance and looked at Az.

"What?"

"Sweetie, do you know what jewelry means in the OZ?" DG's brow furrowed and she blinked at her sister.

Was she serious?

Suddenly Wyatt moved forward, taking both of her hands, and Azkadellia was pushed to the side. He looked beyond guilty.

"DG…I am _so_ sorry. I never meant to…I should have told you from the beginning…" He shook his head at himself. And DG stepped, closer, trying to get him to look at her. "I didn't expect you to wear it right away…But then I just never had the heart to see if you would take it off." He looked up, and DG shook her head at him. "And I tried to tell you last night but you…" She shook her hands from his and placed them both over his mouth to stop his rambling.

"Wyatt, stop! Stop…"

His hands went around her wrists, and his eyes filled with remorse. DG took a deep breath. She realized Glitch must be glitching a lot more than they thought.

This should be fun.

"I know," she told him, matter 'o factly. "I've known this whole time…" she added with a small wince.

It was Wyatt's turn to furrow his brow. He slowly pulled her hands away from his face. He studied her for a minute.

"_What_?"

He was completely blown away. She could only imagine Az was too. Glitch…might be…confused…considering he was Glitch.

A small smile came over her features as she looked back and forth between his ice blue eyes.

"I've known about the jewelry thing for a while now. After I made the list…" She nodded her head back at Glitch, who smiled at her. "I made Glitch tell me about every aspect of courting in the OZ." She breathed a laugh. "It took a while, and the rest of the donuts you brought us, but I got it out of him eventually."

DG ignored Az punching Glitch in the arm, and his annoyed 'Ow! It's not my fault!' that she got in response. She glanced down at her hands entwined with Wyatt's.

"But I already had your necklace on. And I…" Her voice was suddenly shaky. "I couldn't bring myself to take it off…" She glanced back up at him, and she could still see disbelief coloring his features. "And no one else gave me a reason to…

"Jonathon and I …" His face darkened, and she shook her head. "Neither of us really wanted to court. We were just doing so because of our parents. And we made a deal…" She looked down at his chest with a smile. "If things didn't work out with you, and he…we made a deal that we would marry each other because it would make our parents happy," she trailed off with when she looked back up at him. She thought back to the awkward dinner that evening. "But we couldn't go through with it."

She shrugged.

"Because he…" she gave him a half smile, as she stopped herself. Her voice got a lot softer. "…because I already had a necklace…and you gave me nothing but reasons to keep wearing it."

Silence filled the hallway. Az and Glitch seemed to be holding their breath and DG couldn't figure out why Wyatt's brow was still furrowed. Dread filled her heart and their hands sagged between them.

"Wyatt, please say something."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Glitch knew that you knew this whole time?"

DG dropped his hands and spun away from him, threading her fingers through her hair. Her eyes pricked with tears.

"Are you serious!" she shouted down the hallway. She just couldn't catch a break. She took a shaky breath and turned back as the first tear threatened to spill over. Wyatt's face paled as he noticed how upset she was. "I tell you that I have been knowingly, and happily been engaged to you, and that's the _first_ thing you-"

Wyatt reacted quickly, stepping forward and sweeping her into his arms before she finished her sentence. One hand caught her face and his thumb brushed away her tear before his lips pressed against hers. His other arm slid around her waist, bringing her flush against him.

She instantly melted against him, and felt herself raised up on her toes as he pulled her closer. That and the butterflies swarming in her stomach made her feel as if she could fly. Her arms quickly wrapped around him, holding him to her tightly. As he moved his lips over hers, she could feel her tears change from tears of sorrow to tears of joy.

He was _finally_ kissing her.

She pulled back after a moment and swiped away her new tears. A half sob, half laugh escaped her as she looked up at him, a palm pressed against her cheek. He was smiling down at her with the most loving and relieved expression. He pressed his forehead to hers and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to get a hold of herself.

"I'm sorry. You just surprised me is all…" he whispered. She smiled.

"So did you…"

A sniff from behind Wyatt drew her attention, and DG lifted her head to see Az and Glitch, clinging to each other with the stupidest smiles on their faces. Glitch was the one who had sniffed, and Az had tears brimming in her eyes.

She laughed at them and Wyatt turned his head as well.

"Go freak out somewhere else," she told them. "This hallway is taken."

Cain chuckled, and turned back to her, pressing a kiss to her temple. Az nodded, and began pulling Glitch past them. "Just don't tell anyone until the press conference." She looked up at Wyatt. "I have a surprise for them…"

He gave her a knowing smile and leaned down to kiss her again, not bothering to make sure the other couple disappeared. He kissed her slowly, taking his time to explore her lips. Their arms encircled one another and the space between them disappeared. She reveled in the feel of him pressed against her. As their tongues began to get more involved Cain backed off and pressed one more long, lingering kiss to her lips.

"I love you, DG," he whispered against them. She smiled and moved so her lips were next to his ear.

"That still isn't what you were going to say…"

He huffed at her and leaned back.

"Well apparently you didn't need me to say it!" He narrowed his eyes at her. "Why didn't _you_ say anything?" She shrugged, running her hands down his arms from his shoulders as he clung to her waist.

"It was _your_ question to ask," she said simply. "On the Otherside, you get a specific kind of jewelry AND a question…" she tilted her head at him, smiling at him mischievously, making him roll his eyes good naturedly at her. "And…" she looked down at his chin, taking a deep breath. "I wasn't entirely sure if it was OZ jewelry, or just you being thoughtful given where I grew up…"

His hands slid around her back and he linked his fingers together, nodding solemnly at her.

"I see…" he was looking at her somewhat expectantly. She narrowed her eyes back at him, smirking.

"You want me to say it back, don't you?"

"Yes, that would be nice," his response was immediate.

A smile broke out across her face. She ran her hands back up his arms wrapped one around his shoulders and the other guided his face down to hers. She pressed her forehead to his and rested her nose next to his, sighing contentedly.

"I love you, Wyatt," she whispered before pressing a kiss to his lips.

After he was satisfied, they pulled back and simply hugged each other as she buried her face in his neck. They swayed together where they stood for a moment before she smiled against his skin.

"You think they'll really keep their mouths shut?"

He laughed, leaning back to smile down at her and rub his hands up and down her sides.

"Yeah, right…"

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A/N: THE END! :( (But I get to say 'gotcha' again!) Tee hee…THIS is why your reviews of, 'Oh no! How will DG react?' made me chuckle…

You guys have been absolutely phenomenal with your reviews and support of this story. I know this could have been a lot better if I hadn't been so pressed for time but I'm still pretty happy with how it turned out. I even think that if you re-read it with your new found knowledge it still makes sense. How's THAT for unplanned endings of WIN? *is impressed with self*

Anyway, I just wanted to say THANK YOU! For both reading, and leaving the occasional review. PS – epilogue to follow ;)


	14. Epilogue

A/N: Wind very much not in sails anymore. And why no, this ISN't completely out of left field. Just not directly mentioned previously…

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DG clutched his hand tightly out in the hallway.

"Are you ready?" she asked him. He nodded slightly, though he still looked nervous. "I'll be right beside you, I promise."

"I know…" he whispered.

"Alright, let's go."

She pushed open the door and pulled him into the conference room after her. Cameras flashed all over the room, and DG gave a weak smile. Gods she hated the press sometimes. They reached the podium and she raised a hand to get them to stop shouting their questions.

"I have, indeed, come to a decision," she began, but was immediately cut off by about fifteen voices.

"Are the two of you engaged?"

"How did he ask you?"

"What happened to the unlisted suitor? Who was he?"

"Jonathon! Over here!"

"Princess!"

"Please tell us who the other suitor was!"

DG suddenly glared at them, and grabbed one of the microphones and waved it past another one. The resounding note of feedback caused everyone to groan and fall silent.

"Excuse you," she said loudly. "I will answer your questions in due time." Then she looked to Jonathon beside her with an encouraging smile. "However, Jonathon would like to say something first."

He gulped and looked out at the crowd. This is probably not the easiest way to do what he was about to do. Though it certainly was ripping the band-aid, right the hell off, and quickly.

"While DG and I have known each other only a short while, we have grown quite close." Cameras interrupted him and DG glared at them until they stopped. "We've shared many things, including the belief that we should be our own person and not just who the masses wish us to be. And with that in mind, I'd like to announce that I am happily engaged…" DG smirked as the room started to interrupt him again. She still had a hold of the microphone and swung it dangerously close to the other one. They quickly silenced themselves. She winked at Jonathon. He gave her a shy smile in return. He took a deep breath and looked out at the cameras. "…to my best friend, Mark…"

Silence reigned in the room for a moment. She grinned like an idiot and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

She had immediately picked up on a few things over her dates with Jonathon. One, he wasn't trying that hard to hit on her. Two, he talked A LOT about his friend, Mark. And three, and most importantly, he was pretty much the perfect guy.

And so she had him figured out before he had even told her, let alone tried to kiss her. Which by the way, was the most awkward experiment in which she had ever partaken.

And after meeting Mark two days ago, she decided they were pretty much the cutest couple she had ever seen and would have gladly been Jonathon's pseudo-spouse. If it weren't for the whole…her being head over heels for someone else who happened to think she wasn't too shabby either.

"Yeah, right!" A reporter suddenly yelled in disbelief.

DG's smile was wiped clear off of her face and she gaped at the man. Was that the same…? She gripped the microphone tighter. Oh hell no….

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A/N: Not the Surprise you expected me to tell? Well, I'm sure Cain got his moment eventually, but he and DG already had their nice 'wrap up' scene. You guys needed to see where that dinner snapshot had been going for these two… (And make you stop hating on Jonathon for real…)

This idea for Jonathon actually came about from a friend of mine (a girl) who has continually claimed to have found the perfect guy and then inevitably, he ends up being gay. Seriously. It's the funniest damn thing to us.

So you see? There was more going on behind the scenes with this one (in my head anyway) and I would love to do another version but from Cain's perspective or something. Then maybe people won't find this one as spotty. But that is not going to happen for a long time.

Thanks for sticking with me for one of the longest stories I've posted to date. I had no idea I had it in me.


End file.
